Bazaar
by The-Seeress-Yeul
Summary: A few years before Penelo loses her own family to the war, Vaan tries to run off to the bazaar despite his brother's wishes and Penelo follows him despite her fear of the bazaar.


Rabanastre. The capital city of Dalmasca and at odds with the ever-growing empire of Archadia. All of Rabanastre's citizens knew war, including the children. Many lost their friends and families to the tragedy, and a plague passed through the streets of the royal capital taking many more lives.

"Vaan! Don't run so fast! I can't keep up!" A young girl, Penelo, wailed as she chased after her closest friend, Vaan.

Vaan laughed as he ran deeper into the streets of Rabanastre leaving Penelo. He was growing into a more mischievous boy, and Reks and Penelo tried to make sure he remained out of trouble, but he never listened. Vaan did whatever he preferred.

Vaan's parents passed away from the plague causing Penelo's to both welcome in and provide for the two boys. Even King Raminas and Princess Ashelia lost people dear to them. The kingdom lost the queen and one prince closest to the princess in age. The queen never left the side of the prince. She caught the virus from him after he passed.

One place Reks did not want his brother to go to after losing their parents was the bazaar. It was a bustling place filled with all kinds of people - from humes to Viera to Bangaa and Seeqs, there was always someone or something there that enchanted the children. He was more worried about the trouble his brother would get into.

Penelo had been following him because she worried he'd go to the bazaar by himself since their brothers were busy training. There was this gut feeling that she had - that Vaan'd end up in trouble by himself and be a nuisance in the bazaar. She felt safe with Vaan. When he got up and went somewhere dangerous, she feared something would stop him from coming back home. The aspiring dancer became used to seeing their friends and neighbors leave and never return. Be it from the plague or the increasing destructive force of Archadia.

Her teeny braids bobbing up and down as she ran to keep up with him. To her dismay, he bolted right into the bazaar, a place Penelo dared never to go. Not because of Reks. Not because of her brothers' warnings but because it horrified her. Only Vaan would find enjoyment in such an unusual place.

It was just her luck that she lost sight of Vaan once she understood where she was. Struggling to quiet the endless palpitations of her heart, Penelo began calling out his name. Many of the usual crowd began to peer at her with glimpses of confusion. Some even whispered amongst themselves wondering why an eleven-year-old girl was here in the bazaar.

Why did he have to leave her?

Penelo was near tears as her throat tightened and she struggled to say Vaan's name once more. A hand disturbed the hair on her head and a gentle, familiar voice replies, "Jeez, Pen. I'm right here."

The tears she'd been forcing back earlier began to shed. Looking at her friend, she's filled with relief and happiness to see that he's okay and nothing happened. It'd been a few moments but enough for her to grieve all the same. Not just because he's important to her. Not just because of the orphans that looked up to him. It's because she made a promise to Reks to keep Vaan safe and out of trouble should anything happen to him.

She'd never been so relieved, and so thankful in her life. Drying her tears, she let out a chuckle and hugged Vaan right there and then, embarrassing him and then pouted, "You shouldn't have run off like that! Come on, let's go home! You know it's not safe down here!"

"But, Penelo! There's so much to see and do here! Don't you want to see Lowtown? This place has the best view to see the slums!"

"No!" Her braids bounced as she shook her head. "Don't you know the slums scare me too! Can't we do something else? Like, pretend to be sky pirates or princesses?"

She could see rejection forming on his lips, but at her mention of sky pirates and princesses, a twinkle emerged in his eyes. "Sky pirates!? Princesses!? I have an even better idea! Sky pirate princesses!"

He rushed over to jump onto the stairs leading down to the bazaar and struck a ridiculous pose causing Penelo to laugh.

"Okay, okay! Let's go play sky pirates princesses but not here! Let's get the other kids to play with us, too!"

Vaan replied with an "All right!" and the two rushed off eager to find their friends to engage in a day of make-believe play.


End file.
